I
headed down the NY Thruway and stopped at the Gilded Otter BP in New Paltz for this
year’s Winter Wassail, followed it up with a Kelso Marzen Lager at the Golden
Rail Ale House in Newburgh. The Gilded
Otter has good food, but they haven’t been rotating their brews recently and I
was disappointed with the selection. The
Golden Rail is a dive bar (including two buzzed ladies playing pool), but there
beer selection was loaded with local selections. Taking 84W, I made my way to Scranton and
headed down to Cooper’s Seafood.
Cooper’s is well known for their beer (as well as their seafood), always
having beer on cask, and they have their own beer mug club. I got a bowl of their Manhattan clam chowder,
with spicy broth and succulent clams (I guess I do eat shellfish), to go along
with their beer. They had Rodenbach
Grand Cru on draft, one of the world’s best beers, and one that I had never in
all my travels had on draft before. I
was in heaven. I was also able to get a
pint of Widmer’s Nelson’s Imperial IPA on draft. I sipped my beer, watched my sports, and then
headed over to Kildare’s Irish bar for an Irish Breakfast (what is black and
white pudding anyways). One of my work
associates liked the location being close to their hotel, and I didn’t mind
since I was able to get a glass of Woodchuck Winter cider on tap.
Another
day of meetings, and we were able to get on the road early enough to allow me
to stop at several locations along the way.
I stopped at Allentown Brew Works along the way (nice bar although
downtown Allentown leaves a lot to be desired) and got a sampler that included
their Hop Explosion IPA and their Belgian Dubbel. Next was the Kutztown Tavern, right off of
222, and they were kind enough to provide a sampler of their Golden Avalanche
beers, including the Winter Bock and a Bourbon Stout. I then made it to Lancaster and headed
straight to a location mentioned by my cousin Brian, the Spring House Tasting
Room. Spring House is a relatively new
brewery in the area, and I’ve been able to try several of the bottled products
before (how can you lose with a beer entitled Atomic Raygun). They had close to 10 taps, and their sampler
included them all. I really liked the Pacan
Sandie Porter and the Planet Bean Coffee Stout (I liked this so much I got a
bottle to go). I needed a snack, so I
got their version of a ploughman’s: Wisconsin cheddar cheese, local bologna,
and a soft pretzel with hot mustard. It
was all delicious, but I had to go to dinner again with the team at Lancaster
Brewing company. I got a Caesar salad
with a winter warmer to close out the day.
I like Lancaster brewing, but they don’t seem to offer much of a
selection of new beer anymore.
The
next day we had a half day meeting, and then I decided to make the long trip
home. I first stopped in Hershey, PA at Troeg’s
brewing. This is their new facility (I
missed visiting their old spot last September due to the hurricane) and was
able to pick and choose the beers to taste.
I tried their most recent Scratch beers, the Amber Ale (#52) and the
Double IPA (#55), and had a nice chat with a barmaid from New Zealand (no, she
hadn’t seen any Hobbits). I got back on
the road and headed up the river to Selinsgrove to have lunch at Selin’s Grove
Brewing. This place has been top rated
by both Beer Advocate and All About Beer, and after my visit I can see why. The building is made of old stone, and had a
colonial feel to it. The wait staff was
friendly and helpful, describing each of the beers with a flare. I got a sampler (what else) which included 12
6oz beers (what a bargain). They were all
well made, of different styles, and included two cask ales. My favorites were the Captain Selin’s Cream
Ale and the Wee Whiskey, a bourbon scotch ale on cask. For lunch I got the Hokey Pokey (and you turn
yourself around), a ham and cheese sandwich on a soft pretzel roll, with their
homemade German potato salad. It was
awesome. I loved the place, and would
have stayed later if I didn’t still have five hours of driving to get
home. I was able to make the trip with no
problems, stopping at Old Forge brewing in Danville on the way, and was still
able to put the kids to bed (yes, I am the father of the year).
It
was a great day, and a relaxing drive. I
was particularly touched at all the tributes to Joe Paterno who had passed away
earlier in the week. I loved what he
stood for in college sports, and was truly sorry to witness how his tenure
ended at Penn State. It was remarkable
to see all the signs of well wishes for the Paterno family. It is something that I will always remember.
- 5970/11891
“Listening to someone who brews his own beer is like
listening to a religious fanatic talk about the day he saw the light.” – Ross
Murray
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